Hur'q
by Praetorian Productions
Summary: Odo and Sisko discuss Odo's actions during the Dominion Occupation. A companion piece to "Tova'dok."


Disclaimer: I do not own Deep Space 9 or any of its characters. Some dialogue in the main story and the tag is borrowed from Dominion Occupation Arc episodes and "Chimera," respectively.

Spoilers: Through Season 7 episode "Chimera"

A/N: This is a companion piece to "Tova'dok," although it does not matter which one you read first. "Tova'dok's" main story ends after this one, but the tag at the end of this story takes place later than the tag at the end of "Tova'dok." Given that these are companion pieces involving Odo and Kira, it seems appropriate that there should be a certain fluidity and lack of linear precision to the connection between these two stories.

Hur'q

"Is there anything more, Captain?" Odo asked Sisko, mentally running through all the work he had to do once he left the captain's office.

"You tell me, Constable," Sisko said softly.

"I did catch Quark attempting to double the price of his root beer bottles by affixing what he called a 'victory label' to the outside, but he's so glad to have the Federation back in control of the station that he halved the list price when I busted him."

"Half price? I never thought I'd see the day," Sisko said. "Maybe he truly does care about us after all."

"Hmmph," Odo said. "Considering that the list price was actually twice what it had been before the Federation retook the station…"

"Constable…"

"Yes, Captain?" Odo said, his changeling face giving nothing away.

"A few days ago, the major gave me her unofficial report about the Dominion Occupation. Our conversation left me uneasy, and I have finally decided on a course of action," Sisko said.

"I see," Odo said. "I can't imagine the major portrayed my conduct during the Dominion Occupation in a flattering light. You'll have my resignation within the hour."

Odo turned to leave, his outer calm an imitation of the composure he had presented to Nerys when she had confronted him about his failure to prevent Rom's capture and arrest.

"I haven't dismissed you, Constable, either from this meeting or from your position," Captain Sisko said.

"Surely Major Kira gave you an accurate account of my conduct," Odo said. "She's not one to sweeten the truth as if it were a jumja stick."

_Just because we talked all night in a closet once doesn't mean she could lie to someone she respects and trusts as implicitly as the captain._

"She was quite…passionate in her descriptions," Sisko said, a slight smile on his face.

"Hmmph," Odo said, the smallest smile forming on his lips as well—until an image of Nerys's angry face intruded, stealing the moment.

"Yet her official position as Bajoran liaison and first officer of this station is that she wants you to remain at you post of chief of security of Deep Space 9. As she is the highest-ranking Bajoran Militia officer on this station, she is your commanding officer."

"Captain—"

"But I am her commanding officer," Sisko said sternly. "And if my chief of security betrays this station, the blame will ultimately rest on me. Quite frankly, I don't want to go through the hassle of breaking in a new security chief. I haven't had good luck with the security personnel Starfleet has sent me, and I can't tolerate that kind of distraction with this war still on. No, Constable, I'm not letting you out of this so easily. I will consider the advice of my first officer, but I need you to convince me that I—that we—can trust you. Constable, I don't want a resignation; I want an explanation."

"I doubt I will be able to offer an explanation that will satisfy Starfleet or you, but I will try," Odo said.

"Keep in mind that this is not about punishment," Captain Sisko said. "When you spent that time with the female changeling, the station was under Dominion control; Bajor had signed a non-aggression pact with the Dominion. Technically, you were not consorting with the enemy as Bajor and the Dominion were not officially enemies. But the Dominion is no longer in control of this station, and I need to be able to look Starfleet in the eye and tell them I am completely convinced of the loyalty of my entire staff. This isn't about the past; it's about the future."

"Understood, sir," Odo said, responding with a spare nod.

Odo had prepared for this moment, knowing that Captain Sisko would hear the truth from someone eventually. _He should have heard it from me, but I kept telling myself that I wasn't ready, that I didn't understand my conduct completely myself, that Dax's wedding was more important. I've arranged a neat, orderly response, but it probably will not be good enough…._

"Captain, what do you know about the Hur'q?" Odo said under sudden inspiration.

He was momentarily gratified to see Sisko nonplussed, but then he remembered that he actually had to make a point. _I blame Dax's wedding,_ Odo thought darkly. _Too many Klingon rituals…_

"From the report about the recovery of the Sword of Kahless, I remember that they were invaders from the Gamma Quadrant who attacked the Klingons and caused a great deal of suffering before being driven out. They stole the Sword of Kahless, and were apparently conquered themselves sometime afterward."

"You are, essentially, correct," Odo said, slipping into his professional "presentation of evidence" mode. "What reminded me of the Hur'q, however—besides the excessive amount of Klingon traditions and rituals to which I've been exposed this past week—was the literal meaning of the word. In Klingonese, '_hur'q_' became the term for 'outsider.'"

"This is a bit like flying with Jadzia," Sisko said. "You wonder how she's going to make it through a tight spot, but then she performs some outrageous maneuver, settles down, and gets you safely to your destination. You do have a destination, right, Constable?"

"Of course, sir," Odo said. "Namely, that I both initially accepted and ultimately rejected the female changeling's offer to join the Link because I felt like a _hur'q_, an outsider."

"You've always felt like an outsider," Sisko said, steepling his hands. "What made this occupation different?"

"Before, my isolation did not seem personal," Odo said. "I was alone by choice, and I preferred it that way. But then I met people, made friends…I'm no Jadzia Dax when it comes to socializing, but I have formed relationships of value over the past five years. I once told the female changeling that being an outsider was useful because it gave me a unique perspective, but it's difficult to feel that way when you spend your days listening to Dukat and Weyoun's petty bickering and trying to prevent your best friend from causing chaos."

"The major told me about a few of the jobs her resistance cell pulled off," Sisko said. "I take it you did not approve?"

"Hmmph," Odo grunted. "I felt that much of what we did was pointless, a futile protest against the Dominion that somehow managed to avoid bringing disaster down on all Bajor."

"Of course, the major would argue that a good resistance cell seeks to undermine an occupying force on multiple levels and in different ways," Sisko said. "However, for the sake of expediency, I will acknowledge your disagreement with the major's tactics and encourage you to continue."

Odo forged ahead, finally introducing what he had planned on saying once he had realized he would end up in this situation eventually.

"While I cannot explain all my decisions adequately even to myself, the best way I can explain them to you is to recount two incidents that occurred on the Upper Promenade," Odo said.

"Would this happen to be the same section of the Upper Promenade from which Vedek Yassim hanged herself?" Sisko asked.

"Yes, Captain," Odo replied. "And the same overhang from which your son and Nog used to plot their next mischievous prank."

"Perhaps the station would be a better, more harmonious place if I simply had that walkway removed altogether," Sisko mused.

"Hmmph," Odo said, uncertain of Sisko's sincerity. He opted to continue his narrative.

"The evening after Vedek Yassim hanged herself, I received a message from an irate Damar informing me that the major was not responding to her combadge. He said he did not have time to locate the major, so he wanted me to do so instead. Of course, that entailed the highly difficult matter of asking the computer for Major Kira's location and walking there, but Damar could not be bothered with such trivialities."

"So you found the Major on that crosswalk, standing at the spot from which Vedek Yassim had jumped earlier that day," Sisko said.

"Yes, sir," Odo said. "I told her about Damar's complaints, and she wordlessly opened her hand and showed me her combadge. She told me she was a collaborator, that she hated that most of the Alpha Quadrant was fighting for her freedom while she stood by and did nothing. I tried to tell her that she wasn't a collaborator, that we would both be better served by not fighting back. You know Nerys; she was quite…insistent."

"I'll bet she was," Sisko said.

"I tried to tell her that resisting the Dominion would result in a crackdown, but she looked me in the eye and told me that she didn't want to end up fighting me, too, but that if she had to, she would."

Odo resisted the urge to pace, striving to keep his professional, detached façade intact.

"When she told me that, I felt more like a _hur'q_, more like an outsider, than I ever had before. In this strange place where even my best friend would turn on me under the right circumstances, I struggled to find any sense of equilibrium. I felt like Empok Nor: abandoned, powerless, and off-center, listing in cold, hard space."

"So you're blaming the major?" Sisko asked, a hard edge to his voice.

"No!" Odo growled, quickly regaining control and reschooling his fluid features. "My choices were my own, and I cannot entirely blame the major for the decisions she made, especially in light of my own. Perhaps my explanation was less precise than it should have been."

_The female changeling is right about one thing, _Odo thought. _Humanoid language is imprecise._

"One afternoon when I was making my rounds, I overheard a conversation between you and Captain Yates," Odo said. "I was not eavesdropping; this particular conversation was passionate and intense. You were discussing the results of a baseball game, arguing about whose fault it was that the team for which you were both rooting lost."

"Ah, yes," Sisko said. "I remember. We were discussing who should shoulder the blame for losing the 2074 World Series for the Kings. Don't feel bad for overhearing, Odo; I'm sure that most of the Promenade—and maybe some of Ops—heard that discussion."

"If you remember, Captain," Odo continued, "Captain Yates contended that since a player for the Kings failed to catch a ball hit by the other team, the loss was his fault. You eloquently contended that while that particular player did make a costly error, other Kings players made mistakes throughout the entire game. You argued that making the last mistake did not necessarily translate into making the worst mistake, and that many factors contributed to the Kings' loss."

"Kassidy never did concede defeat," Sisko said, picking up the baseball that was once again in its rightful place. "She accused me of using my 'Starfleet diplomatic double-speak' on her and of refusing to hold that poor player responsible for his actions. I still stand by my argument, though; making the final mistake does not necessarily equate to making the costliest mistake."

"Part of Captain Yates' final argument sums up how I feel about Kira's ultimatum," Odo said. "Captain Yates said that whether or not you agreed that the specific player had made the costliest mistake, you had to agree that, since the play was the last one anyone saw, it would certainly be the most memorable. Many things contributed to my sense of not belonging; not all of them were mistakes. Starfleet had no choice but to abandon Deep Space 9, but the sudden absence of my friends made thinking badly of humanoids easier. It was not Kira's fault that I had to spend hours with Dukat and Weyoun every day, nor was it her fault that I felt powerless to protect anyone. Her disclosure that she would fight me if I opposed her shook me, but it did not fully account for my decision to link with the female changeling."

"Then what did?" Sisko asked.

Odo paused, searching for a way to describe that which was so hard to put into words.

"Sir, it is a well-known fact that you collect artifacts that were culturally important to your ancestors," Odo said. "These artifacts aren't significant to you solely because you find them attractive; you feel a connection to your ancestors through those artifacts, don't you? They answer questions about the past, questions that matter to you. There are also facts about your species you take for granted: approximate population size, reproductive methods, family unit interactions, and the concept of individuality within a group, to name a few. Before the female changeling came, I knew few of these things; several are still unknowns for me. I just wanted to learn about my people, to know what it's like to exist as a changeling."

"I understand that," Sisko said. "You are right about those artifacts; in fact, Jake told me several years ago that he knew Deep Space 9 had become home when I felt comfortable taking my ancient African artifacts out of storage. And I know that you've always wanted to learn more about your people, that you are biologically driven to know more about what it means to be a changeling. But you still had a job to do. You still had order to maintain on the Promenade. You still had a committee to serve on—even if you did have to do so with Dukat and Weyoun. You still had friends to protect, people who relied on you. There were things you were supposed to do, and you didn't do them."

"I know that, Captain," Odo said, hanging his head in the manner he had learned to do long ago in Mora's laboratory. "And I offer no excuse to justify those lapses in judgment beyond that I was doing what felt right at the time. I do not regret the act of linking so much as I regret my inability to handle the results. All those times I mocked drunkards for being unable to handle the beverages they had consumed in Quark's…The Link is either intoxicating, overwhelming, blissful oblivion or stark, staggering, brilliant clarity."

"Don't let Quark hear that or he'll use that explanation to describe his latest alcoholic concoction," Sisko said.

"Hmmph," Odo grunted, remembering Quark's sales pitch for his newest creation. "I think he referred to it as the Celestial Tippler…Celestial Toppler?"

"Celestial Tippler, I think, after the Bajoran name for the wormhole and the Terran name for a drinker. Given that the drink is supposed to mimic the effects of the Prophets on the Dominion reinforcements, I think I would go with oblivion over clarity."

"Given the overall effect of the Link on me, so would I," Odo said. "While I experienced a jarring moment of semi-clarity when I attempted to…instruct the female changeling on a certain aspect of Solid life, the true moment of clarity ironically came while I was standing on that particular Upper Promenade crosswalk."

Odo was grateful that Sisko merely widened his eyes a bit as his mind filled in the blanks about the methods of Odo's instruction. _Maybe he doesn't want to dwell on it more than he has to. That makes two of us…_

"I take it your moment of clarity took a different form than Major Kira's," Sisko said.

"Everything about me takes a different form than Major Kira," Odo said gruffly. "This moment was no different. I was standing on the Upper Promenade with the female changeling, looking down on all the Solids scurrying about their business. They resembled hara kittens, unaware of the Tarkalian hawk stalking them from above. As so often happened after a link, my mind felt remarkably clear, yet it made judgments contrary to everything I normally believe in. I told the female changeling my observations about the humanoids, and she agreed with me."

"I'll bet she did," Sisko growled, eyes hardening.

Odo decided to skip the minutiae of the conversation given Sisko's fierce scowl, moving to the important part of the conversation.

"'They need our guidance, Odo, not our pity,' she said. I stood there, imagining that my hands were grasping the same places Vedek Yassim's hands had clasped before she jumped. 'The Solids cherish their freedom,' I said. She walked away from me, one of her hands skimming along the smaller, thinner rail of the outer Upper Promenade. 'We'll have to break them of that,' she said."

"That was probably the first honest thing she said to you, wasn't it?" Sisko said.

"It is impossible for a changeling to deceive while in the Link, Captain," Odo said, inclined to defend the female changeling's honor in this respect if in no other. "While we were linked, I never sensed feelings of deceit or dishonesty."

"Yet the Great Link deceived you when they judged you," Sisko said. "They allowed you to sense an image of Chancellor Gowron and seemed to intimate that they didn't want you to see that image because Gowron was a changeling infiltrator. This turned out to be false; you were almost killed by your people's deception."

"But they didn't overtly lie to me in the Link," Odo argued. "I drew my own incorrect conclusions and almost paid for them with both our lives."

"Whether or not they are capable of deceit in the Link, there is no way you can deny that your people lie on a regular basis outside the Link," Sisko said.

"No, sir," Odo said, resignation in his entire posture. "Whether or not it is possible to lie in the Link—and I cannot prove that it is impossible; I can only offer my personal feelings on the matter—my people have become adept at deceit when taking humanoid form. Perhaps we feel we can manipulate the truth as simply as we can manipulate our forms. And it was a sentence spoken outside the Link that changed my perception of the female changeling's offer to rejoin my people."

"She slipped up," Sisko said. "She had presented this peaceful, calm façade to you because she knew that was what you needed. I know you would object to my suggestion that she used you, so I'll simply say that, like a good changeling, she turned into the peaceful oasis of tranquility and clarity you needed at the time."

Odo objected to several of the Captain's points, but they were largely irrelevant.

"I felt anything but tranquil when she said that my people would have to break the Solids of their freedom," Odo said. "'Break them?' I asked urgently, my Security Chief's mind engaging as it hadn't since I had linked with the female changeling that second time. She quickly realized not only what she had said, but how hard her voice had grown when she'd said it. 'In a manner of speaking,' she said, reminding me of a runabout that had been forced to suddenly drop out of warp and reverse course. 'This language of the Solids is so imprecise.'"

"Jake made similar arguments about Federation Standard when he was in school," Sisko said. "Of course, as a parent, I knew he was saying that to cover up the fact that he did not sufficiently grasp the nuances of Standard—or any language, for that matter. Perhaps the female changeling should have remembered she was talking to the best chief of security in the entire quadrant."

"Hmmph," Odo grunted. "My investigator's mind had flared to life, my mind at least making it to impulse if not to warp. 'What exactly do you plan to do?' I asked her, suddenly desperate for answers of a different kind. I already knew the answer, but my newfound clarity obscured it. 'The Solids are no longer your concern, Odo,' she said to me, her voice adopting a condescending tone I had not noticed before—at least not during this visit. 'What must be done will be done; it's as simple as that.'"

"She and I agree on that last point at least, although I doubt we agree on the particulars." Sisko said.

"Weyoun interrupted us with his typical obsequious bow, reporting on the war. 'Why don't you return to your quarters, Odo,' the female changeling said to me in a tone that suggested I had the mental capacity of a tribble. 'Don't worry,' she said, lightly laying a hand on my shoulder. 'Everything will be fine. I promise.'"

"Constable, please tell me there was still enough investigator in you to remember all the times you've heard similar words and had them proven false," Sisko said.

"The major said something similar about my position on the station council," Odo said. "We both know how that turned out."

"Jadzia said roughly those words the one time she convinced me to join her in her Camelot holoprogram," Sisko said. "You can imagine how that turned out."

"I always make sure I've scheduled a security meeting or training drills to coincide with Jadzia's holosuite bookings," Odo said smugly.

"You are good at getting out of trouble, Constable," Sisko said, shifting his baseball from one hand to another.

"Yes, sir," Odo said. "And as I walked away from the female changeling and Weyoun, I felt…not so much a sense of escape; that suggests too clear a mind. No, I felt like a _hur'q_ once again. While it hurt terribly to feel like an outsider with those I had once considered my friends, the pain of feeling similarly towards my own people was staggering. My outwardly calm demeanor betrayed none of my conflicting emotions—until I reached the bottom of the spiral staircase that leads to the Lower Promenade and saw the unmistakable form of Major Kira striding about six meters in front of me. All pretense of calm cast aside, I ran as fast as I could in my attempt to reach her. I knocked into a few people and still could not reach Kira before the turbolift doors closed. Frantically, I ran through the passages and hallways I knew like the makeup of my own form. Calling her name failed to slow her down; only by telling her that I knew she was angry could I get her to respond."

"Nothing gives the Major more savage delight than an opportunity to express her anger to the one who's injured her," Sisko said, grimacing. "I'd rather face an entire platoon of Jem'Hadar that has run out of white."

"Kira wasted no time, listing everything that was going wrong in a tone of voice that told me she held me at least partially responsible," Odo said. "My mind was still too clouded to form a coherent argument, so I stumbled over my attempts to explain myself. One certainty formed in my mind, breaking free of my confusion. 'I'm sorry,' I said. She did not react as I'd hoped she would, her eyes glittering black in the dim Cardassian lighting of the hallway. 'We are way, way past sorry,' she said, angrily stalking away."

"Your mind really must have been clouded if her reaction surprised you," Sisko said.

"Hmmph," Odo agreed. "But her reaction did serve to clear my mind, at least partially. As much as her response hurt, it reinforced my status as an outsider. For the first time in years, I was a true _hur'q_, free from any affiliation, from any sense of belonging. I stood in front of the window in my quarters, imagining I could see the distant battle between the Dominion and the Federation. How long I stood there, I couldn't say; time had no more meaning in front of that window than it did in the Link. By time the female changeling told me that Kira had been arrested and would be executed, by time Weyoun informed us that Kira and the other prisoners had escaped…"

"Freed by Quark, of all people," Sisko said into the silence. "You know, Constable, I doubt Starfleet could devise a punishment worse than your having to live with the knowledge that Quark acted more courageously during the Occupation than you did."

"If by 'courageous,' you mean, 'spending most of his time behind a bar gouging the current winning side,' then yes, I suppose Quark was courageous," Odo growled.

"And yet he was the man who released Kira, Rom, Leeta, and my son from their holding cells," Sisko said, standing up and walking around his desk to face Odo.

"Are you trying to intimidate me, Captain?" Odo asked sarcastically.

"Of course not, Constable," Sisko said, glowering at Odo. "I'm just trying to figure out how it's possible that the man who saved my son's life was not the man who was supposed to prevent it from being in danger in the first place."

"Your son chose to stay behind," Odo said. "He chose to involve himself in the Resistance. You Solids always expect me to save you from yourselves."

"Is that what you're doing by staying here?" Sisko said, voice rising. "Are you staying to offer your wisdom and guidance to the poor, stupid Solids?"

"This is getting nowhere," Odo grated. "I promised I would explain my actions to you and I have done so to the best of my abilities. If, as I predicted, my responses did not meet Starfleet and personal standards, then I will be on my way within the hour. I pack light."

"And you'll go where?" Sisko said. "The Link? Will you surrender your individuality in exchange for pleasant, numbing clarity? Or maybe you'd like to go live with Dr. Mora. I'm sure he could find something for you do do."

"I really don't have time for this," Odo said. "Please consider this my resignation."

"You have not been dismissed, Constable!" Sisko yelled, blocking Odo's move toward the door.

"If you really want to stand here all day, I can oblige you," Odo said. "Of course, I will eventually have to revert to my gelatinous state, but I promise I won't make too much of a mess."

"No, you'll just stand here acting childish in order to avoid telling the full truth," Sisko said.

"Nobody tells the full truth," Odo said. "In all my years as a humanoid, I've never met anyone who never lies. Solids and changelings have that in common, at least."

"So that's it?" Sisko said. "You're willing to just walk away from everything you've built here, everything you've fought so hard to keep? If that's the case, I don't understand why you bothered to save the major at all."

"I could never let anyone harm Nerys!" Odo yelled.

In the deafening silence, Sisko's face went still. Odo could see him thinking, knowing that the tactical genius who had devised numerous battle plans during the war would have no problem processing the information Odo had unwittingly revealed.

_What does it really matter?_ Odo thought. _He's probably going to relieve me of duty anyway._

"Wilson to Sisko," the comline said.

"Sisko here," the captain replied.

"Sorry to interrupt, sir, but I'm receiving a priority one message from First Minister Shakaar," the voice said.

"I'll take it at my desk, Ensign," Sisko said.

Odo stood still, unsure of what to do. Sisko continued to ignore him, so he said nothing. _Just the man whose voice I wanted to hear,_ Odo thought bitterly.

"Good evening, First Minister," Sisko said. "What can I do for you?"

"I tried to contact Major Kira, but she's not answering my messages," Shakaar said.

"It's her evening off," Sisko said. "If you'd like me to contact her immediately…"

"I would appreciate that, Captain," Shakaar said. "Bajor is in desperate need of supplies since few people were willing to deal with the Vorta facilitators during the Dominion Occupation. Given how well the major has handled such situations in the past, I think she's the right person for the job."

"I'll pass that along," Sisko said.

"Thanks, Captain," the first minister said. "Shakaar out."

"Captain—" Odo said, Worf's entrance interrupting his escape plan.

"The Starfleet security update as you requested, sir," Worf said, handing Sisko a PADD.

"Thank you, Mr. Worf," Sisko said, skimming over the contents of the PADD. "Is there anything else?"

"Permission to attend the Bajoran security meeting at the conclusion of my shift, Captain," Worf said.

"Permission granted," Sisko said. "Of course, you are also free to spend some time with your bride."

"It is my duty as a Starfleet officer and a Klingon warrior to do everything in my power to ensure the safety of this station," Worf said. "But I would like to spend some time with Lieutenant Commander Dax, so I shall ask her to attend the meeting as well."

"I'm sure she'll be delighted," Sisko said.

"I have been unable to contact her," Worf said. "She does not answer me."

"She's probably not in any condition to answer you," Odo said, reminding the two men of his presence. "Lieutenant Commander Dax stopped by my office after her shift and requested a bottle of Maraltian Seev ale to share with the major."

"I will pass along your message to Dax when I talk to Major Kira," Sisko said.

"Thank you, sir," Worf said, walking out.

Sisko picked up the PADD, reading Worf's security report.

"Is there anything more, Constable?" Sisko asked, looking up. "Because I thought you had to finish planning your security meeting."

"Yes, sir," Odo said. "I suppose I have a few last-minute additions I would like to make."

"Then you'd best get to it, Constable," Sisko said, eyes dropping back to the PADD.

Odo walked out without another word, his mind already back on the job.

XXX

The palm beacon barely lit the rocky cave, so Odo was unsurprised there was no sign of Laas. Odo did not doubt that Laas was lurking somewhere in the shadows; surely he would wait as long as necessary for the realization of his dreams.

"_I hope you find what you're looking for,"_ Nerys' words told him again.

He stepped into a sandy passage and noticed a rusting mine cart full of rocks, discarded and forgotten. Metal supports braced an opening, and Odo instinctively knew he was finally at the end of his journey.

"Laas?" he said into the naturally-lit chamber beyond.

"I knew you would come," Laas said, stepping under the braces and into the passage.

"This is a new beginning for us, Odo," Laas said, walking up to him. "A new beginning for our people. You and I are about to embark on the adventure of our lives. What's wrong?"

"I'm not going with you," Odo said.

"Why are you here?" Laas asked warily, stepping back.

"I've come to say goodbye," Odo said.

"Don't be a fool," Laas said. "What are you holding onto? Kira? Even she knows that this is what's best for you. Why else would she have helped me to escape?"

"You really don't know, do you?" Odo said softly. "You've no idea what it means to love someone enough to let them go."

"She let you go so that you could find out where you belong," Laas said.

A moment of pure clarity struck Odo, the truth rippling throughout his form.

"I know where I belong," Odo said firmly. "Laas, humanoids are not the petty, limited creatures you perceive them to be; what Nerys did should prove that, even to you."

"'Love conquers all,' is that it?" Laas said.

"I'm sorry you can't understand," Odo said serenely. "You've _done_ many things, _been_ many things, but you've never known love."

"Compared to the Link, it is a pale shadow," Laas said. "A feeble attempt to compensate for the isolation that monoforms feel because they are trapped within themselves."

"Perhaps the fact that it's not easy is what makes it worthwile," Odo said.

"Odo," Laas pleaded, "the Founders are dying. This could be your last chance to exist the way you were meant to. Don't throw it away."

"You'd better go. They're looking for you. Good luck," Odo said, extending his hand.

"And to you, Odo; you'll need it more than I," Laas said, ignoring the outstretched arm and walking away.

Odo listened to Laas's receding footsteps, his hand still held out. While he knew he should have been at least slightly disturbed by Laas's rejection, he felt nothing but peace and clarity. He lowered his arm, the pure clarity continuing to spread throughout his consciousness.

Hur'q_ no more,_ it said as Odo turned around and left to reclaim his true place in the universe.


End file.
